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Florida Now Requires Childcare Vehicles to Have Alarms that Will Alert Drivers if Children Are Left Behind
In 2010, Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen attorney Andrew Yaffa represented the family of Haile Brockington, a 2-year-old, who tragically died after being forgotten inside a hot day-care van for nearly six hours. While representing the family of Haile, our goal was not only to help them find justice but to also ensure that no other child is faced with a similar situation and that no other parent has to live through the heartbreak of losing a child in this way.
Immediately following Haile’s death, Senator Maria Sachs filed a bill in the Florida state legislature to require safety alarms in day-care vans, however, the bill did not pass. Senator Sachs advocacy did result in a win in Palm Beach County, where commissioners unanimously passed a measure requiring day-care vans to install safety devices that serve to alert drivers when a child is left inside.
Fast forward to this month, a very similar bill, presented by Senator Linda Stewart and Representative Ben Diamond, has finally passed. SB 252 requires all day-care vans in the state of Florida to have the same sensor technology required in Palm Beach County. This bill is a direct successor to the 2011 effort led by Senator Sachs, with the advocacy from Attorney Yaffa and his team..
We are relieved to see this measure has finally become state law. “Haile did not die in vain,” says Attorney Yaffa, “the loss of Haile and her memory will ensure that she has made this world a safer place. No other child from this date forward should ever suffer the same fate.”
As noted by KidsAndCars.org, Florida has the second highest number of child deaths from vehicular heatstroke, over the last 20 years.
Do you need help with a complex and serious personal injury matter? Call Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen at (866) 629-1061 to schedule your free consultation.
